1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to copy sheet transport systems, and more particularly, to an improved easily accessible transport for copy sheets transported in a copier/printer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In copier/printer machines, it is common to transport sheets from sheet feeders to a photoconductor by means of a multiple roll transport. A copy sheet transport is typically comprised of a series of roll nips such that single sheets are under the control of the roll nips at all times prior to exiting the copier/printer and constrained on both sides of the sheet by full width metal or plastic paper guides or baffles that physically surround the sheet and typically inhibits visual and/or physical access to the sheet in the event of an unplanned shutdown, such as, a sheet jam.
A typical copy sheet transport assembly that is used to transport copy sheets between a paper feeder and a photoreceptor of an electrophotographic apparatus is disclosed in Vol. 4, Number 4, July/August 1979, pg. 467 of the Xerox Disclosure Journal. The sheet transport assembly includes a baffle member adapted to an appropriate configuration generally curved or otherwise in combination with one or more fabric belts routed over the outside of the baffle with the substrate path being provided by the belt(s) and baffle. The belt is made with woven Nylon fabric material and rubber covered on the side which does not contact the substrate. A substrate is introduced between the belt and baffle and is reliably and economically transported without the use of vacuum or multiple pinch roller systems.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,832 a sheet transport apparatus is shown for a photocopier for reversing the direction of sheet travel and has only an outer curved guide surface, an input, intermediate and output drive rolls spaced apart less than the length of a sheet. The output drive rolls are disengagable and cooperate with an opposed guide surface and one or more retractable stops to achieve registration of the copy sheet with an image.
A jammed sheet removal aid in a reproduction machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,135. A display on the reproduction machine indicates to an operator when a jam occurs. In response to the occurrence of a jam, all of the sheets in the processor of the reproduction machine are automatically freed from their respective sheet transports. In this way, the operator may readily remove the jammed sheet from the respective transport.